The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-12
A COLOSSAL LOG JAM.
THE WORK OF BREAKING 1T UP
WATCHED BY THOUSANDS.

Operations of Lumbormon Mt Taylor's
Falls, Minn.-Many Feats of Skill.
Activity and Daring-BiDy tho Kid.
The Whole jam Moving.
The Dallcs Of the St. Croix, as the rocky
gorge is called through which plunge tho fall
and rapids Of the river, arc q marvel Of
scenery worth long journey at any time,
but just at present, for space Of three miles,
not particle of water is visible, nothing but
q vast chaos Of logs jammed in between the
rocky jaws of the gorge and representing
$50, ,000. 900 feet of lumber Huge trunks OF
trees, 80 to 80 feet long, they lie heaped in
every kind of intlescribable position, some bolt
upright like piles, some at angles OF 45 de-
grees, some headed down stream and others
straight across it. Meanwhile, the whole
force of the falls and rapids of a great river
has to work its way through and under the
enormous mass. Of course, the problem is
how to dislodge this tremendous block, so
that the logs can float down to the Mississippi,
and the whole work has to be done at the
lower end.
As the visitor camps down on the rocks
feels for all the world like spectator in an
old Roman ampitheatre about to witness
fight between men and the uGliest specimens
of the brute creation. Indeed, the choice
between grizzly bears, lions and tigers,
and the terrible forces Of such huge tree
trunks with the pressure of al avalanche
behind them, and rapids that can make them
individually leap and spin like so many
bowling dervishes, is not one worth drawing
lots for. The conibatants are taken in at q
glance as q hundred or more men, strong as
lions and spry as cats, clothed most of them
from head to foot i'll bright red flannel, and
armed each with long pole, shod with
Steel spike and hinged semi-circular lever,
for clamping round tho logs and rolling
them over. Three hundred yards below the
Jam lies a powerful steamboat, with o
capstan capable Of exerting pull OF 2oo
horse power, and around which Is wound
hawser, the end of which is carried on to the
lam, and attached to what are called the
kew stone logs, that is, the logs that evince
the most obstinate, dogged and absolutely
rebelliols temper.
BEGINNING OF THE TUG OF WAR
And now the tug of war begins. The cap
stan slowly revolves, the hawser lifts from
the river, fine Jets of water spinning from 1t
under. the fierce tension. The upright treo
trunks writhe and groan and twist, their
nnarchiyul bark-clothes torn or under the
irresistible police grip in which they are held,
till they are left oil white and naked, and at
last slowly, sIlicnly, and with Groans Gnu
curses uc despair, 4 detachment OF perhaps
800 locs is torn away from the mani pooy.
And ROW t.a fun CONES. Nl,nble rs so many
cats, the retl+h:rtcd, ret-trouScrcd lumber
men leap CT il to break it up Here dozen
nrc s!,o,;lc!criag away with their levers TO
roll OF hi1go trunk at The top, here they are
p,sbiu~ down under water to head the right
way u cross-l,inding log. AS the units OF tAe
mass ..?G more end more GiSlodgcd, huge
Iolas OF tees shoot uD from underneath, and
fairly leaD l;i:c cnorHlous fish out OF the
water. Everything is now spinning aod
pl,,aria-. and au unlcttcred laylaGn World
rs lief attempt promenade down hill on the
sides of SO many rolling barrels, as essay the
fects these agile fellows are easily up to.
Down bclow stands ready and manned
rowhoat for the rescue Of any who should
fall into the rapids. But the thing is not to
fall in, for the risk of drowning IS as nothing
to the risk of being caught and ground up
between the logs Only once did we see
man tumble of, but while women sbr1eked
and his mates tore round to point Of the
ledge where they could drag him cut, the
bravo fellow himself seemed TO take it os q
simple little incident Of the profession
Every other time there were logs enough lelt
between the torn off and captured detach-
ment and the main army to enable the men
to leap back from point to point. Billy the
Kid, as the universal voice had chrlstencd
one 1.-THE, graceful, yet powerful Young fel-
low, was always in the lead. lie wore a
white rose III his hat. LeapinS Ike deer
from log to log he was always at the point
where effective work was to be done, and SO
GREAT was tho glow of admiration he awali-
encd in every unlocking feminine breast that
he would only have had to leap dripping
ashore and fling himself, soused Leander,
at the feet of any Hero of them oil to have
borne her OFF as his forever.
THE FASCINATION OF TIE SCENE.
Very curious is it to observe how, when
ever a chance is given for seeing splcndldly
developed human bodies i'll vigorous action, a
O. pcrfect fascination sets i'll for watching the
sight. There was one old lady, Of sinSu-
larly bright and Intelligent face, sitting on
the rocks. who said she could not tear herself
away from it, that she sat there all day long
and day after day. On my cravcnly and
materially saying to her that must really
go up to the hotel to get something to eat, she
broke out in the most rcproachful tone, "Ol,
let your dinner go; tho men may any minute
start quarter Of mile Of the jam, and then
it will I've the greatest sight in tho world. I've
ordered my dinner to be brought out to me
on the rocks" Such enthusiasm was truly
admirable.
Contagious as was her example, must,
still in cortrition, confess that did 60 up to
the hotel-somc five minutes away-and had
Just sat down to bowl OF soup, soinc beef
and canned corn, when q cry was raised:
s'The whole jam is moving" Billy tho Kid
himself would have been put to it to make
better time then for the river ledge. What
O sight it was! For fully quarter of mile
III length and 500 or 100 feet in breadth, the
vast press and tlrong of the mob of giants
were in furious motion. | could think OF
nothing but countless herd of frantic butfa-
loes lcaping over ono another and tr;unpling
one another under foot, the irresistible ava
Ianclc of motion and terror from behind
sweeping before it everything to the front.
Indeed, the tremendous jam, thirty to fifty
feet in depth, was working pcrpendicularly
I'D and down as we'll as forward along all its
| line. Whenever temporary opening was
made, enormous trunks that had been SUBJ
merged deep down would leap out into The
1 o;r ool IN to thn hacks of the others with